Month: January 2012

Once man had discovered fire, he quickly learned that burning some types of wood, resins and herbs, released pleasant aromas and everything that was pleasant the primitive people used to please the gods. This practice was adopted by the Egyptians who, through specific rituals, burned different aromatic substances at different times of the day. The perfume’s role in religious rituals was dominant until the 16th century B.C. From then on, especially between the years 1580 and 1085 B.C., perfumes were used in two ways: either burned in the form of incense or applied on the body through perfumed balms and oils for medical, but also cosmetic purposes. This appealed to the Egyptian women who began to frequently use the products as weapons of seduction. It is said that Cleopatra was a specialist in this art, but also in the art of making her own perfumes. In fact, the Egyptians began to use their vast knowledge in this area to create the oils necessary to embalm the dead, a practice that they dominated like no other. From their contribution to the history of perfume also resulted some of the first glass perfume bottles.

Arabic Scent

by Shaheen Darr

Arabic perfumes are an exotic and rich combination of incense and oils but without an alcohol base that is normally used in Western perfumes. Their fragrances are strong and spicy but unique and there is bound to be one that will appeal to your senses.

For Muslims the use of alcohol is avoided so natural products like rose, jasmine, lilies, sandalwood, musk and citrus fruits were used to create beautiful smells. The oil from the flowers was extracted by a distillation process and with the advent of Islam and the love of perfume that Prophet Muhammad had, “halal” perfume production spread even more.

Incense and fragrant herbs were burnt for fragrance, and rose water was and is very popular in Muslim countries. Attar, as it is called, can be combined with sandalwood, musk and amber to create oriental or Arabic scents. Even today you find rosaries or tasbees which have prayer beads that have been perfumed with rose water. As you touch the beads the smell of rose water fills and enhances the atmosphere around you. Exports of flowers from Egypt form the base of many perfumes used in European cities like Paris.

There are some other natural sources that are commonly used to make Arabic perfumes. The first is Oud which originates from the Aquilaria trees found in India and South East Asia. The wood found inside these trees gets a particular mould which gives it a unique fragrance. When you use Oud on your skin, the initial scent is quite strong but over time it becomes more subtle and is quite lasting. You can either use the wood or the Oud oil and this is burnt so that the smell from the smoke that emanates from it can linger around the house or on your clothing.

Then there is Bukhoor which are pieces of woodchips called Agarwood which have been scented with fragrant oils. Both Oud and Bukhoor are burnt in special oil or charcoal burners to create fragrant smoke. A piece of lit charcoal is placed in the burner and small pieces of Bakhoor are placed on this burning charcoal. If you leave the smell to travel around a room with the windows shut, the smell will linger on in the room for quite a while. These days electric burners are used instead of the traditional charcoal burners. The smell of Bukhoor signifies special occasions like weddings, and its fragrance helps to create feelings of wellbeing and pleasantness in social gatherings or in private homes.

Arabic perfumes leave a distinctive smell in most Muslim homes and in the shopping malls or souks of Middle Eastern countries. The exotic names used for Arabic perfumes add to their overall appeal as do the elaborate and exquisite presentation boxes in which they are sold.

MYRRH AND FRANKINCENSE

Myrrh

Myrrh is the dried oleo gum resin of a number of trees from the Commiphora or Dhidin species of trees. The Myrrh trees are found as either small or low thorny shrubs that grow in rocky terrain. Like frankincense, myrrh resin it is produced by the tree as a reaction to a wound that has broken through the bark and into the sapwood. The trees are bled in this way on a regular basis.

When left on the tree, myrrh is waxy and brittle, but after the resin is collected into large bales it becomes a dry, hard and glossy substance that can be clear or opaque, and vary in colour. Depending on aging, this colour can range from yellowish to almost black, with white streaks.

Frankincense

Frankincense begins its journey by being tapped from the very scraggly but hardy Boswellia tree. This is achieved by slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are known as tears. There are numerous species and varieties of frankincense trees, each producing a slightly different type of resin. Differences in the soil and local climate will create even more diversity of the resin, even within the same species.

Frankincense has been one of the world’s most treasured commodities since the beginning of written history. At its peak its value rivaled that of gold, the rarest silks, and the most precious of gems. Ironically, it is but a milky-white resin produced by a scrubby, unlikely looking tree, genus Boswellia. There are twenty-five known species of Boswellia, each creating a water-soluble gum-resin with its own distinctive fragrance and medicinal properties.

Frankincense trees require an arid climate where moisture is provided by morning mist. The few ideal environments in the world for this small prized tree are found in Southern Arabia (Oman and Yemen), India, and Northern Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Kenya). Further, frankincense trees require a limestone-rich soil and are mostly found growing on rocky hillsides and cliffs, or in the dried riverbeds below. Harvesting can be a very dangerous task.

Frankincense trees grow to about 20ft. in height (8m) with branches often beginning near its base. The common Oman, Aden (Yemen), and Somalia species, B. sacra / B. carteri, produce small yellow-white colored flowers with five petals, while the African B. papyrifera and B. thurifera produce small pale-red flowers. Each are a favorite among bees and produce small fruits which are fed to livestock. But it’s the trees’ resin that’s been treasured for thousands of years for its aromatic and medicinal uses.

Frankincense resin begins as a milky-white sticky liquid that flows from the trunk of the tree when it’s injured, healing the wound. The Arabic name is luban, which means white or cream. It’s also known as olibanum, and its essential oil is often called “Oil of Lebanon.” It’s commonly recognized western name, frankincense, is said to have originated from the Frankish (French) Knights of the Crusades who treasured it in large quantities.

Frankincense resin flows when a tool called a mengaff is used to scrape about a five-inch section down the trunk of tree. The tree is marked and the harvester returns in two weeks to scrape what has become hardened frankincense resin from the tree. Resins which fall to the ground are collected on large palm leaves placed when first tapping the tree. The process repeats itself for about 3 months during harvesting.

Frankincense trees are ideally harvested twice per year, from January to March and again from August to October. The trees benefit from rest periods and produce finer quality resin when taken care of properly. Collected resins are aged for about twelve weeks and are then brought to the world’s markets. Finer resins are opaque white, semi-translucent white with shades of lemon or light amber. The exceptions are B. frereana which is used as chewing gum and is best soft and translucent lemon colored with golden hues, and B. serrata of India which is best golden to golden-brown. India’s B. serrata is highly prized and extensively used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Recent studies by an international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, have indicated that burning frankincense resin (Boswellia) helps to to alleviate anxiety and depression. The University of Munich found the anti-inflammatory properties of frankincense very effective as a treatment for joint pain and arthritis. The famous eleventh-century Arabian physician, Avicenna, recommended its cooling effects as a remedy for infections and illnesses that increase the body’s temperature. Greek and Roman physicians used Frankincense in the treatment of a great variety of diseases. Frankincense remedies appear in the Syriac Book of Medicine, ancient Muslim texts, and in Ayurvedic and Chinese medical writings.

Frankincense is also a natural insecticide and was used in ancient Egypt to fumigate wheat silos and repel wheat moths. In Arabia, the smoke of burning frankincense resin is used to repel mosquitoes and sand flies. Researchers have found that burning frankincense indoors improves the acoustic properties of the room. Dioscorides described how the bark of the tree was put into water to attract fish into nets and traps. In ancient Egypt the resin was a key ingredient for embalming their dead.

Frankincense in summary, is one of nature’s most cherished gifts. Whether you desire the pleasure of its pure resin for incense or its precious essential oil for aromatherapy, cosmetics or perfume, you can find a diverse line of high quality frankincense resins and oils here at our online store.

(Frankincense and Myrrh; A Study of the Arabian Incense Trade – by Nigel Groom)

Instructions on Burning Oud/Bakhoor/Lubaan:

Things You’ll Need:

Bakhoor

Electrical or charcoal incense burner

Charcoal discs

1Close all the windows in the house to make sure that no perfumes will escape the room.

2Turn on the electrical incense burner until it indicates that the plate is very hot. Proceed to Step 4 for burning the bakhoor. If you are using a traditional charcoal burner, begin with Step 3.

3Burn the charcoal discs in a separate container until they start to glow. You can use ceramic pottery, special metals or anti-burn plates.

4Place the charcoals in the designated place in your charcoal incense burner.

5Place the bakhoor chips on top of the electric plate or on top of the charcoal discs, depending on which type of incense burner you are using.

6Allow enough bakhoor to burn so that the smoke fills the room with a clear fragrance, but not so much as to use up too much of the oxygen in the room.

7Directly expose clothes to the smoke for three minutes to perfume them.

Energy Emitted From Eyes Responsible for That “Stared At” Feeling
A new study by psychiatrist Colin A. Ross suggests that our eyes emit an energy that is measurable, and is ultimately responsible for the eerie feeling of being “stared at” that many people have claimed to have felt.

Ross´s new study entitled “The Electrophysiological Basis of Evil Eye Belief” has been published in the peer reviewed journal Anthropology of Consciousness and claims to have found a “human ocular extramission” in the form of electromagnetism.

Though traditional science does not accept that human eyes can emit any energy whatsoever, Ross claims to have used a custom-made device to prove that the “human eye emits an electromagnetic signal that can be measured scientifically.”

Healing and Animals

Dr Silvia Hartmann

A Young Shepard

Healing animals – this can be read two ways, and both are equally important to a person who is drawn to animals, as a part of their path and spiritual development. We meet animals who have the power to give us healing, and these become healing animals for us; and then there comes a time when we want to give back, in fact are now healed enough to have something to give again, and at that point, many are drawn to healing animals themselves.

Animals are the link between us human beings, who have in many ways become painfully detached from the great creative order by our ways and mistakes, and the thinking and doing we do, and all the rest of the Universe.

Animals can become the messenger and pathway back to nature, back to the entire world that exists outside of people doings, and where God awaits, if you want to put it like that.

The very purity of animals who do not lie, steal, plot or doubt themselves or others is an antidote, a mirror to where we human beings are going wrong. The animals are a cure and pathway out of loneliness and disconnection; they give us much needed energy and very importantly, give us somewhere to put our energy, the love we have to give, the care taking and compassion which every person has but no-one asks them for it, and if they offer it to other human beings, it is usually rejected.

So in this very simple, structural way of pure giving and receiving energy exchanges, animals provide us with a bitterly needed service to get some flow back into our energy systems that have become encapsulated as we try and keep away from our human neighbors, have become suspicious of strangers and walk through our cities with our heads down and our energy systems pulled in tight.

In even aiming towards becoming a healer, and giving now instead of only taking all the time, we take a MASSIVE step of evolution in the direction of a fully functional, powerful human being that can protect, and heal the animals in their environment, and further out, the animals that they become aware of on the wider levels.

The suffering of animals because of human intervention across time and space is vast, and it would be impossible for a person in the Hard to make any impact on that that would be noticeable.

In the energy realms however, where all time is one, and a single thought can move a mountain, we can do SO MUCH, and we can make wonderful changes simply by the power of intention which is powered by our heartfelt desire to bring healing and protection to the animals – to a whole species, to all animals past, present and future, or just a single individual who has suffered at the hands of man.

News Is Finally Starting To Get Out About The Many Health And Anti-Aging Benefits Of This “Superfood”…

Amongst other things, it contains a very powerful natural anti-inflammatory compound called oleocanthal which inhibits the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX). COX is found in virtually everyone suffering from an inflammatory condition. Since most diseases, health ailments and premature aging are believed to be caused by inflammation, when you reduce inflammation in the body you correspondingly reduce these conditions!Pain is a side effect of inflammation. The oleocanthal in olive oil works similarly to ibuprofen in reducing inflamation. As a result pain is reduced.

Oleocanthal could help reduce and even prevent inflammation thus reducing or even eliminating pain without the potential side effects of prescription or over the counter drugs!

Most commonly used in the Mediterranean diet, the health and anti-aging benefits of extra virgin olive oil have been known for thousands of years and are just now starting to gain awareness in Western cultures.

It’s believed that extra virgin olive oil could be largely responsible for the low rates of cancer and heart disease in parts of Europe and Greece. Monounsaturated fats and powerful antioxidants (polyphenols) are believed to be the contributing factor for these low rates.

All of the internal health benefits provided by extra virgin olive oil can easily be realized by simply adding a small amount to your daily diet.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil From Lebanon Is Loaded With A Powerhouse Punch of Boron… A VERY Important Health And Anti Aging Mineral!

One of the additional major benefits of extra virgin olive oil from Lebonon is its higher than normal content of boron. This higher level is caused by the unique boron dense soil primarily only found throughout the region where these trees are planted. Boron is a very important trace mineral that has largely been ignored by mainstream medicine. This is unfortunate, as it is extremely important and as a health supplement, could have amazing beneficial effects on the body.

Health Conditions That Could Potentially Be Improved Naturally with Boron:

Boron is a natural remedy for many of the “side effects” of aging and is an effective treatment for 95% or more in the relief of arthritis (provided the joints have not completely deteriorated). It works very well in alleviating arthritis, partly due to its crucial role of calcium integration into the cartilage and bone. This is important for all of us as we age, even if we do not have arthritis. Aging is partly associated with weakening of the bones as they become increasingly porous – adequate Boron can help prevent this side effect of aging!

Beauty Benefits of Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil Topically

Applying extra virgin olive oil topically provides incredible moisturizing and humectant properties. Japanese studies indicate that the topical application of extra virgin olive oil has many anti-aging benefits for the skin. Ordinary olive oil, however, does very little from a health perspective.

For hundreds of years, Cretans and Europeans have used extra virgin olive oil as a skin moisturizer and anti-aging remedy. There is no need to spend money on overpriced olive oil skin care products. Simply apply a small amount of extra virgin olive oil directly to skin and watch it come alive!

Since most people spend their younger years baking in the sun, it makes a lot of sense to get the health and anti-aging benefits of extra virgin olive oil from both intake and topical application. Doing so could help slow down and even turn back the clock from all the visible damage caused by sun over exposure.

The Source Of Heart Attack And Stroke Protection In Extra Virgin Olive Oil Now Revealed!

According to an article in Science Daily (Apr. 1, 2009) — Scientists have finally pinned down the constituent of extra virgin olive oil that gives the greatest protection from heart attacks and strokes. In a study of the major antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil, Portuguese researchers showed that one, DHPEA-EDA, protects red blood cells from damage more than any other part of olive oil.

“These findings provide the scientific basis for the clear health benefits that have been seen in people who include extra virgin olive oil in their diet,” says lead researcher Fatima Paiva-Martins, who works at the University of Porto.

Heart disease is caused partly by reactive oxygen, including free radicals, acting on LDL or “bad” cholesterol and resulting in hardening of the arteries. Red blood cells are particularly susceptible to oxidative damage because they are the body’s oxygen carriers.

In the study, published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, Paiva-Martins and colleagues compared the effects of four related polyphenolic compounds on red blood cells subjected to oxidative stress by a known free radical generating chemical. DHPEA-EDA was the most effective and protected red blood cells even at low concentrations. The researchers say the study provides the first evidence that this compound is the major source of the health benefit associated with extra virgin olive oils, which contain increased levels of DHPEA-EDA compared to other oils. In extra virgin olive oils, DHPEA-EDA may make up as much as half the total antioxidant component of the oil.

Paiva-Martins says the findings could lead to the production of “functional” olive oils specifically designed to reduce the risk of heart disease, “Now that we have identified the importance of these compounds, producers can start to care more about the polyphenolic composition of their oils.”

Mariam Amash, an active inhabitant of a quaint Israeli village, makes sure to drink at least one glass of olive oil every day. And since she was born in 1888, she’s had at least 43,800 glasses–roughly 2,737 gallons of olive oil.

Olive oil can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as regulate blood sugar level and knock out nasty free-radicals. More info can be found here. Apparently it has worked fairly well for Mariam, you know, seeing as she’s been around since the Turkish Empire was in control.

With 120 grandchildren, 250 great-grandchildren, and 20 great-great-grandchildren, I bet she spends most of her time making out $10 checks.

Olive Oil Benefits

1. It’s Natural! – the best of olive oil benefits. Extra virgin olive oil is nothing but fruit juice extracted mechanically from olive fruit. There is no heat or chemicals used in the extraction process. My favourite and the most beneficial is a fresh organic unfiltered extra virgin olive oil. Follow this link for more information about olive oil grades.

2. Flavour – It just tastes good. I guess I would have to say it is an acquired taste and some people just don’t like the bitter characteristic of some oils. There are olive varieties known for their mild flavour and olive oil pressed from ripe olives is smooth, mellow and buttery.
substitute olive oil for butter

3. Nutritional Value – vitamins E, K, and A as well as polyphenols, squalene, oleocanthol, triterpenes and hundreds more micronutrients make olive oil a healthy choice. Read more about olive oil nutrients.

4. Oleic Acid – oleic acid (omega 9) makes up 55 – 85 percent of the fatty acids in olive oil. Don’t confuse this with the amount of free oleic acid which is the main factor used to determine the grade of the olive oil and the lower the better. Oleic acid aids in keeping our arteries supple and helps prevent cancer.

5. Hydrogenated Oils – olive oil is not hydrogenated oil. Hydrogenation creates dangerous trans-fats found in margarine and many other packaged foods. Please read this page for more information about hydrogenated oil and trans-fats.

6. Heart Health and Cholesterol – extra virgin olive oil is high in polyphenols (a powerful antioxidant) and monounsaturated fat which contributes to lowering bad cholesterol. Read more about this health benefit here.

7. Cancer – researchers at the University of Oxford believe that olive oil may be just as effective in the prevention of colon cancer as fresh fruits and veggies. A diet rich in olive oil has been shown to reduce the incidence of colon., breast and skin cancers.

8. Blood Pressure – Studies now indicate that extra virgin olive oil may help to lower blood pressure. Patients were able to reduce or eliminate the need for medications when olive oil was consumed on a regular basis.

9. Alzheimers – this disease is associated with the clogging of arteries caused by cholesterol and saturated fat. Replacing other fats with olive oil will reduce the risk.

10. Gallstones – Olive oil promotes the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones naturally and lowers the incidence of gallstones.

There are more olive oil benefits. It’s great for skin and hair care , used in natural remedies, and is a more versatile cooking oil than you may think.